The Accountant General of the Federation ( AGF), Dr. Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein who the Humanitarian Affairs Minister allegedly ordered to transfer out the sum, denied honoring the reported N585.198 million payment request by the minister.
In a widely circulated document that she personally signed and sent to the AGF’s office, Edu requested that the money be paid to the personal account of Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola
The SaharaReporters, an online newspaper, recently published a story of Betta Edu allegedly ordering the AGF to transfer the sum of N585,189,500.00, into a personal account according to a letter obtained by the newspaper.
According to the newspaper, the private account belongs to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the minister
The newspaper reported that a letter from the minister with reference number: FMHAPA/HQ/OHM/S.208 to the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs Madein dated December 20, 2023, asked that over N585 million should be sent to a private account.
The letter signed by the minister, Dr Edu, is titled ‘Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States Respectively’.
It reads, “I hereby approve the payment of the cumulative sum of five hundred and eighty-five million, one hundred and eighty-nine thousand, five hundred naira (N585,189,500.00). These are payments for programmes and activities of the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups.”
The details show that N219,429,750.00 was for the 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom State; N73,828,750.00 was for the 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Cross River State N219,462,250.00 was for the 2023 vulnerable Groups in Lagos State while N72,468,750.00 was for 2023 Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Ogun State.
The letter said the payment of N585,189,500.00 –the total sum – should be made to a UBA account: 2003682151 belonging to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.
“This payment should be made from the National Social Investment Officer account with account number: 0020208461037 to the Project Accountant’s details listed above,” it added.
However, in a press statement issued by the Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Rasheed Zubair, and made available to journalists on Friday, Edu said that she has not flouted any law by her action, adding that the vulnerable group’s payment was made in accordance with the law.
Zubair claimed that the reason the award was paid to Bridget’s account was because the fellow is presently the Project Accountant for Grants for Vulnerable Groups.
He said: “It is glaring that the same sponsored disgruntled elements in the past few days have been trying to smear the Honourable Minister, Dr. Betta Edu, and stain her integrity because she drew the attention of the federal government to the N44.8 Billion fraud in NSIPA.
“These elements have been trying to link her to a phantom fraud and are behind this latest misadventure. However, this latest vile effort of theirs is another infantile blackmail doomed for evisceration.
“For the avoidance, the said N585m was approved, and it is meant to implement grants to vulnerable groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Ogun, and Lagos states.
“We must note that GVG was first launched in Kogi State, where recipients testified. Akwa Ibom and Cross River were launched in December 2023. Kogi already happened in November, and others will be launched in the coming weeks.
“The general public is invited to note that the Renewed Hope Grant for Vulnerable Groups is one of the social intervention schemes of the Federal Government, which the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation is implementing.
“Oniyelu Bridget is the Project Accountant for GVG from the Department of Finance, and it is legal in civil service for a staff, the project accountant, to be paid and use the same funds legally and retire the same with all receipts and evidence after by gram is completed.”
However, reacting to the controversy generated by the payment request considered to be illegal, the AGF said she did not honour the request.
According to her, it was not her responsibility to make payments for projects and programmes on behalf of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Dr. Madein’s position was contained in a statement by the Director of Press, Mr. Bawa Mokwa of the OAGF, in Abuja on Saturday.
She stated that allocations are released to self-accounting MDAs in line with the budget and such MDAs are responsible for the implementation of their projects and payments for such projects.
The AGF explained that although her Office received the said request from the Ministry, it did not carry out the payment.
However, Betty Edu’s Ministry was advised on the appropriate steps to take in making such payments in line with the established payment procedure.